Aimée Thurlo - Restless Wind

“I know.”

When they reached the crest of the tallest mesa around, Ranger reversed directions and parked where they could see for miles in every direction.

“Let’s see if we can spot where they’re headed. Hand me the binoculars from the glove compartment,” he asked.

By the time he had the binoculars, all he could see was a tail of dust fading away in the distance. “I was hoping they’d follow us, and we could set our own trap, or follow them,” he said. “But they’ve gone in the opposite direction. We’ll never catch up to them now.”

Ranger shifted in his seat and faced her. “But there’s one point I want to make right now. If they’d captured you, you would have been forced to give up whatever information you carry. Then they would have killed you, and by then, it would have been a mercy. I want you to be very aware of what you’re up against-and why you need me.”

She’d already come to that conclusion, but hearing it out loud made her start trembling. Dana clasped her hands together and took a deep breath, willing herself to stop. “I know all that, but there’s nothing I can do right now to change the situation. The most I can tell you is that there are things I have to do by myself.”

“Like finding Hastiin Dííl?”

“Jonas told you?”

“He trusts me more than you do. And he also knows me very well and realizes the information is safe with me.”

“I gave my word to a man who meant the world to me-your tribe’s medicine man,” she said, fighting the tears stinging her eyes. “I’ve got to find Hastiin Dííl.”

He shook his head. “Can’t be done, at least not right now. Too many bad guys are trying to find him, too, so he’s gone underground. But if you’ve got something important to say to him, tell me, and I’ll do my best to see he gets the message.”

They were at an impasse, but she needed help to finish what she’d promised Hastiin Sani she’d do. Dana closed her eyes for a second, searching her heart for the answer.

A moment later she opened her eyes and met his gaze. Her instincts about Ranger couldn’t be that off the mark. Everything she’d seen assured her he could be trusted.

Making her decision, she took a deep breath. “The kidnappers forced the medicine man to give them a list of names. Hastiin Dííl’s was the first one written down. Maybe that’s why the killers remembered and passed it on to Trujillo.”

“Did you see the list?” he pressed.

“You know about loyalty and about honoring your word. You should understand why I can’t tell you anything more.”

“ Trujillo and his people want Hastiin Dííl because they remember his name. But they also want you because they’re assuming you know the other names. The list must have been lost at some point, so your photographic memory is the only record they can access. Am I close?” he asked.

“They’re overestimating my worth,” she said, then held up her hand and shook her head. “That’s all I can say.”

Ranger considered her words for a long time. “ Trujillo ’s men won’t go back to Hastiin Dííl’s hogan. There were two vehicles following you before, and one of them went in another direction after leaving the trading post. If I’m right, those goons went directly to his hogan. By now they’ve had time to break in, search the place and leave. They wouldn’t have had any reason to stick around, because the medicine man isn’t there. Why don’t you and I go over to Hastiin Dííl’s place and see if we can pick up a clue that’ll lead us to him?”

“So you don’t know where he is, either?”

“No, and no one’s going to give me that information based on what I have so far,” he said.

Ranger was risking all that he held dear for her. “Thank you for trusting me.”

“We’re part of something bigger, you and I. That means rules have to be broken.” He picked up his cell phone, checked and realized he had service. “This is Wind,” he said identifying himself in a way that would tell his brother he wasn’t alone. “I’m going to Hastiin Dííl’s hogan.”

“He’s not there. You know that,” Hunter answered. “No one can reach him where he is now. He’s safe.”

“Can you?”

There was a pause. “No. I don’t have that information.”

And that was what he’d wanted to know. “I’ll be in touch.”

“You still haven’t told me why-”

“Later.”

She looked at him. “Is Wind your nickname?”

“I use it in business. It’s a name that seems to fit me.”

She nodded in agreement. He could be fierce or as gentle as a breeze in summer. He could move in total silence and leave no evidence of his passing. Wind was the perfect code name for him.

Despite knowing the red truck had gone in the opposite direction, Ranger was very cautious, stopping often to make sure no one was on his tail.

Satisfied after a long circuitous route, they finally drove to Hastiin Dííl’s. Two log hogans, their joints sealed with clay, were side by side, but one was considerably larger than the other. From what she’d read, Dana knew that the larger hogan with the smoke hole and the blanket over the doorway was the medicine hogan.

“Don’t,” he said, as she started to open the door. “I’m not even going to turn the engine off. Let’s wait a bit and make sure we’re not getting suckered into a trap. They could be on foot, inside.”

Parked behind a cluster of trees, he left the engine idling. They waited for over ten minutes before he finally pulled the key out. “Keep your eyes open and stay sharp,” he said, his gaze never resting.

“This place looks completely deserted,” she said, looking around as she opened the passenger’s door.

“Don’t trust anything. Expect the unexpected and it won’t broadside you.”

He walked over, then crouched down by a set of vehicle tracks. “A large pickup was here,” he said.

“Probably Hastiin Dííl’s, don’t you think?”

“No, here are his vehicle’s tracks. He drives a VW bus. It’s ancient, but he loves it. His tracks are a few days old, considering the amount of dust that settled over them,” he said.

“These others, the ones from the pickup, must be fairly new then,” she said, taking a closer look.

“We have no proof that the truck belonged to Trujillo ’s men, but I’m almost certain it did. Those are brand-new tires, and it’s a six-wheeled pickup. Most of our people can’t afford the fancy stuff.” He stood. “Stay put. I’m going to take a look at the residence.”

“Do you have a key?” she asked.

“Traditionalists don’t generally lock doors,” he said, then added, “But all things considered, he may have decided to start. I’ll find out soon enough.”

He strode off to the hogan being used as a home-the one with the stovepipe passing through the center of the roof and the solid wooden door.

Dana watched him go around to the front. Finding the door partially open, he stuck his head inside. While he was busy with that, she kept watch for trouble. A cottontail rushing about caught her eye and, as she watched him scamper off, she spotted a set of footprints.

Following them, she realized they came from the arroyo and led almost directly to the medicine hogan. From the absence of windblown dust over them, she could tell the visitor had been there today. She followed the tracks to the medicine hogan, then, looking up, saw Ranger walking in her direction.

“I found some footprints, so I’m going to take a quick look,” she called out to him. Since women also had Sings done, she knew she wouldn’t be violating any taboos by peering inside. She drew the blanket aside about a foot, then stuck her head inside.

A click followed by a thud caught her attention immediately and a roundish object rolled by her boot. Ranger leaped forward, scooped it up, then hurled it toward the arroyo. Spinning around, he knocked her down, and covered her with his body.